CHAPTER 37: REDEMPTION OF EVIL
"That's enough, Aiseki, Ichigo. You've done well; I'm so very proud of you all."
A cautious wave of silence permeated the throng of humans, Holies, and shinigami as the stranger spoke. Even Ryojin, the target of the now failed execution attempt, durst not speak even a single syllable beneath the shadow of this newcomer who protected his life from the blades of Ichigo and Aiseki.
"If you are protecting the enemy, then you must be our enemy as well," growled Ichigo, wresting Zangetsu's blade free and slashing at the stranger – though his blade could barely travel two inches before his own muscles halted under the spirit pressure emanating from the shadowed stranger's body. This reiatsu was heavy and thick, so thick that Ichigo felt he would be able to swim through it, but instead of defeating his intent with fear and power, this reiatsu seemed different – it gave him such peace that he didn't feel the need to follow through with his attack.
It was then that Ichigo, Aiseki, and everyone else gathered around finally realized the form and shape of the new stranger. What was originally perceived as shadow was not shadow at all – rather a full, dark brown mane like a lion, rising from the stranger's head, curving around and running down along his entire body. Even his hands were more like feline paws, complete with claws and pads, but before any could see the man's face in this form he began to subtly change, until after nothing more than a few seconds his form was that of a human, thirties in appearance, and unquestionably and undeniably handsome in every facet. His hair color was the same of the now-disappeared mane, and as he stood up straight his features became all the more noticeable.
"W…who are you…?" gasped Ryojin from below, now able to get a view of his rescuer. Above, the man looked down upon Ryojin with a loving gaze that melted his heart, reducing him to tears. Dressed in fine white garments not unlike a Holy, though far finer and radiant, the tender, blue-eyed man smiled upon the damaged and defeated Ryojin below. His face was clean shaven and smooth, strong and muscular as was the rest of his body for all they could tell, but were it not for the intense feelings of peace and excitement that everyone in the company felt they would have considered him to be just an exceptionally handsome man. Those feelings could not be ignored, however; whoever this person was, such spiritual feelings were new and never felt before by any – except for Ichigo who, despite his obstinance several moments before, began to remember what he had felt mere hours before during his battle with Michele Revenant.
I've felt this spirit before… he thought as he gazed upon the newcomer, now kneeling down to Ryojin and picking him up into his arms like a child.
"As well you should, Ichigo," said the stranger, turning to Ichigo and smiling.
"You read my mind?" gasped Ichigo in surprise, though his mind was on a different path. That voice…it's the same as back then. He was the one who helped me defeat Michele…he was there in place of mom!
"Your mother was busy protecting her family on Earth after it became trapped in Jigenseisokuka's universe," continued the stranger to Ichigo. "She wanted to help you, so she asked me to go in her place."
"What are you talking about?" piped in the Holy Declan. "You've met Ichigo already? Who are you?" The stranger then turned to Declan and smiled before speaking.
"I am your Creator, the God of this world…" said the stranger matter-of-factly. "I assisted Ichigo in his transformation brought upon by your zanpakuto, Natsukisaki. Now, however, I am here to protect Jonah Valhalla as a Father."
"You're G…God?" stammered Aiseki, his lips stuttering and his body shuddering as he spoke, his eyes widened in shock. "But…but if you are God, then you know what Ryojin has done! You know the evil he has brought and the lives he's destroyed! Why would you protect him?"
"Look at these terrible sins!" added Shakuho Hitokage from amidst the crowd surrounding. "How could he atone for such darkness?"
"I understand your anger and desire for justice," said God softly, though his voice pierced the entire scene such that all could hear him clearly. "But you also need to stop and think – think about what really has happened over these last few months…"
"And if you're God, why would you let such horrible things happen?" interrupted Declan with an angry tone, still reeling from the loss of his master and teacher. "Why would you allow us to suffer like this, then come in at the last moment when all is said and done? Why didn't you intervene?"
"Because I didn't need to," replied God, his tone so dulcet smooth and genuine that Declan's fiery emotions vanished instantly. "Life is a grand experiment, and the less I can involve myself directly, the more natural and beneficial your development will be. But at this juncture, in order to prevent unnecessary and truly cruel loss and death, I needed to act for myself.
"Think about it; what has happened since the world was conquered just days ago? Broken ties have been rebound; Shakuho Hitokage returned to Soul Society as a hero, and his resolve is stronger now than it ever was during his life. Aiseki Kennomichi has likewise grown and developed, and learned much of himself and his life. Furthermore, he was able to live a life on Earth that was taken so prematurely, and was able to affect his wife's life for the better.
"Alicia Anders, meanwhile, changed her fate. She was always fated to become a sorrow, but because of the events that have transpired this transformation took place in such a manner to cause the least amount of damage and no death at all. She has ejected those feelings of darkness from her soul, something she would not have been able to do had she not gotten to know the Viajante. Now, she even has a zanpakuto abandoned by another, and her entire world has changed – for the better.
"The Slaves of the Viajante, those three that left Soul Society and followed him, namely Shigeryu, Fu, whose real name is Kiria, and Toriko, whose real name is Uri…while damaged gravely in their battles, these three are not perished. In fact, they can be healed, and now have the opportunity to regain their honor and place in Soul Society.
"Even among the Shinigami, Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi will have learned an important lesson in patience and pride, and Captain Kenpachi Zaraki has already learned love and charity through his interactions with his lieutenant Yachiru and the Viajante. Furthermore, a level of trust not previously present among the leadership of the Gotei Thirteen has developed through your work and aspiring to protect each other, as seen with Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. This same Captain has himself grown considerably by letting his beloved sister, Rukia, and his own lieutenant, Renji Abarai, seek out to restore their lost pride when they supposed their dear friends murdered."
"But what about the Fallen Ones?" asked Declan as soon as he could get a word in. "They suffered painful deaths…"
"Choice is something I cannot take away from a person," answered God. "In each of their cases, the choice was made to fight to the death for their cause. However, consider what exactly happened to them; were they not all redeemed from their eternal prison placed upon them in Jizengensei? Were they not all granted pasaje, even if by a forceful hand? Did not each of you, Orihime, Uryuu, Yasutora, Ichigo, and Aiseki, feel and hear in your hearts that you were not destroying, but rather liberating these your brothers and sisters? Each of them is now free to live and grow and progress, something that had you not been faithful and true would not be the case.
"Finally, and most importantly, is this: the worlds have been restored, life there will continue on as it always had, and none of you, nor any innocents, have been killed. Even Captains Kurotsuchi and Zaraki, whose souls had been stolen, are even now as we speak returning back to Sereitei, their souls and spirits intact and alive once again thanks to the liberation given by Lucian's sacrifice. Indeed, Lucian and Cerillius' sacrifice was the only loss in this affair, but even in this there is only merit to be heralded. Lucian is finally at peace with himself, he too having suffered a life of agony and sorrow; now he is the hero, Cerillius as well, and together they will be rewarded eternally for their bravery. But even though he destroyed his spirit body, his soul lives on, and will be born into the Mortal World; there is no victory of death over him, nor his zanpakuto, nor for any of you. For all this good which has come about, does the Viajante truly need to be punished by your hands with death?"
Another wave of silence crushed upon the large group; what this stranger was saying was completely true. Despite all the horror no one among them had died, save Lucian and Cerillius by their own decision.
"For many centuries I have foreseen these events," continued God after a few moments of silence. "And this was the fate and path that was set. Each of you was to be tested for your faith and trust, and each of you has passed magnificently…but then again, you are my children, and I have tremendous faith in your abilities."
"God…" mumbled Ryojin, his tears now dried, though his eyes were stained red. "Why…?" Before he could say another word, however, God shifted his hold on Ryojin to one arm, and reached into a pocket in his flawless garments.
"However, justice must be served," declared God with a stern and authoritative tone, seemingly ignoring Ryojin. "Jonah Valhalla has erred greatly from the Eternal Path, and punishment cannot be avoided." From his pocket God retracted a small object in his hands. As he lifted it before the crowd, each of them realized that it was not unlike a candy dispenser – long, slender, brightly colored – with a cartoonish badger's head at the top.
"What the…?" asked Alicia Anders, still wounded upon the ground, but confused at the sight before her.
"I must be going now," declared God with a smile. "I will be taking Jonah with me. Declan Greenleaf, you must return to Jizengensei, and I will guide you back. I have enjoyed seeing you all more than you can possibly know, and truly you have made me miss you more than I ever imagined. I love you all, my precious children. Now please, look at the badger." With a flick of the thumb the badger head sprang upward and bounced back and forth for a moment upon an attached spring, after which a massive wave of pink, fluffy clouds burst out of the main body of the item…and with that, the stranger, Ryojin, and Declan were gone.
Several minutes passed while the large group of humans and shinigami stood motionless and silent among the ruins of Rukongai as the pink clouds faded, these having covered all of Rukongai and Sereitei in their entirety before dissipating. Slowly the group began regaining lucidity, and as it returned Ichigo slapped his face and rubbed his forehead as though coming off a bad headache.
"Man, what just happened?" asked Ichigo generally. "I feel like I've totally blacked out…"
"Something crazy happened here!" exclaimed Aiseki as he surveyed the destroyed surroundings. "Something bad…" A similar murmur rose from the shinigami leadership and the humans as well; extreme shock at the state of their surroundings and condition, but no memory of what was happening – nor any apparent concern over their being gathered together. In addition, none of the injured seemed to remember having been damaged at all; Rukia's wounds were completely vanished, as were Renji's, Shigeryu's, Fu (now called Kiria), Toriko (now called Uri), Kisuke's, Shakuho's, and Yoruichi's. Even Alicia was standing complete, whole, and untarnished from her recent, completely forgotten battle.
"Should we investigate?" asked Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro to his fellow shinigami. "There has to be some reason for all of us being here…"
"No," replied Captain Kyoraku from beneath his straw hat, turning a blind, sorrowful eye to Nanao as she embraced Shakuho across the way. "I don't think we will need to."
"But why not?" asked the petite Captain Soi Fon. "Something had to have caused this destruction…"
"Something bad did happen…" interjected Aiseki, stepping towards the captains with his wife at his side. "But whatever happened, it has been made right. Can't you feel it?"
"We're going to be all right, all of us," added Alicia, her zanpakuto Elizabeth now back in her sheath, radiating with life and joy to be with her master.
"It's all going to be okay from now on."
(break)
Jonah Valhalla slowly opened his eyes; moments earlier he had been in Soul Society when God himself intervened in his execution, but now everything was different. All around was a pale rose hue, and while he could see no solid ground he was able to stand up. It was as he thus stood that he realized something was very off, something that nearly sent him back into a catatonic state due to the shock imbued.
"M…My arm!" exclaimed Jonah in disbelief as he realized his torn-off arm was now back in place, unharmed in every facet. His damaged hand, injured when Jigenseisokuka had burst, was likewise healed completely, as were all of his injuries sustained while battling Alicia. "How did it…?"
"I healed you," spoke up a voice, and Jonah slowly lifted his head to see God standing before him, still dressed in his fine garments not unlike a Holy's uniform. Instead of thanking him, however, Jonah scowled and shouted, running towards God and swinging his fist at his face.
"WHY?" Jonah's fist collided squarely with God's handsome, perfect jaw, though he did not budge from his stance. Instead, Jonah collapsed upon his knees on the ground at God's feet, where he began to bitterly weep, his wails half sorrowful, half furious. "Why would you let this happen…why wouldn't you just kill me? I know that justice must be served! I know that I'm going to Hell like father and brother! Why are you making me suffer even longer? Isn't it enough that the Elders tore my family away? Isn't it enough for me to doom my friends to Hell? JUST KILL ME!"
For all the rage and distraught, raw emotion inside, Jonah sincerely felt, for a moment, that God would comply and deal the final blow to his body and spirit. Instead, however, Jonah felt God place his hands beneath his arms, and with a firm motion God lifted him up to his feet again, thrusting him against his chest in an embrace. For several long moments God held Jonah tightly in silence, like a father greeting a prodigal son, until Jonah could no longer handle it.
"Why?" wept Jonah, pushing himself away from his God. "Why are you doing this? It doesn't make any sense…"
"You were never an evil person…" started God, his perfect blue eyes comfortingly gazing upon the weeping and shuddering Jonah. "You think you are to be reviled, but all you ever wanted was to preserve those you love. All you did, you did for your brothers and sisters, though along the way you did begin to lose yourself to more base desires. Such is to be expected, though; everyone makes mistakes, Jonah, and if we don't have loved ones to turn us around, those mistakes will only grow."
"Then why would you let the Elders take my family away…?" started Jonah, but God shook his head and raised a finger for silence.
"Did you not listen before?" asked God with a kind, gentle, yet reproving tone. "Freedom of choice is the greatest of all natural rights, and it is something that not even I can offend. The Elders of Jizengensei made a choice just as you made a choice, albeit both being very poor, and from that point on the future became reshaped. However, part of being God is to make sure that the best outcome comes about despite the choices of my children." For several moments Jonah was silent, digesting the words he had just heard from God's mouth; so much still did not make sense – why would God heal such an evil person like him?
"I still hate you…" grumbled Jonah, lowering his face such that God could not see the tears in his eyes. "Father, Brother…they were both sent to Hell for eternity…" To Jonah's complete surprise, God began to laugh at these words, drawing an incensed look from Jonah's eyes.
"How many times were you told?" laughed God, though in no derogatory sense at all. "Not all truth was revealed during your sojourn in Jizengensei; very well, young Jonah, I will enlighten and teach you. To start, when does life begin?" Jonah shook his head a little as if coming back to reality, and for a moment he hesitated before giving his answer.
"Life begins in Jizengensei…" he began. "Our souls are created by our parents, and born into the Premortal existence."
"Incorrect," declared God with a smile that leaked into his voice. "It isn't entirely clear, but enough critical thought would reveal that life is far more circular than it is linear. You see, your God is also your Father; this you are taught, correct?"
"Well, yes…" replied Jonah slowly.
"But if you were born in Jizengensei, how could I also be your Father?"
"You created the worlds," said Jonah, gaining slightly more confidence as he spoke, though his anger and resentment towards his God remained. "Anything created therein would then be your own creation…"
"Oh, my children do amuse me," laughed God. "Such it is with our species that we always over-think everything. Life is like thermodynamics, if you will; just as all things in the universe follow the simplest path to equilibrium, the simplest explanation is oft times the most correct, if not the only correct. When you dissolve the complexity wrought by our minds, you would see what many in the past have also learned – life begins not in Jizengensei, but in the Eternal Realm."
"Then why the deceit?" retorted Jonah angrily. "Why so much confusion and mystery?"
"Truth is truth, and nothing else," continued God. "The truth has always been there, but my children have a tendency to change their views into something that makes more sense to their undeveloped minds. Besides, the idea of creating a family in Jizengensei and returning to that family in the Eternal Realm is beautiful and pleasing to me, and such knowledge is not necessarily required for your salvation. You see, I have a wife myself, your Goddess, and she and I were once like you. We lived and grew, sinned and learned from our mistakes; there was even a time that I spent in Hell for sins I had committed during my days of youth and development…"
"W…What?" gasped Jonah, his eyes growing wide with utter and complete disbelief. "Y…You went to Hell? But, I thought…"
"Would a father be so willing to abandon his precious children to an eternity of suffering?" asked God suddenly, stifling Jonah's words and filling his mind with racing emotions and thoughts. "Yes, each of you are a child of your Mother and I, but in order for you to become like us, you needed to progress through life – first as a spirit with great power and knowledge, next as a mortal with flesh and blood, then as a spirit again, though still mortal and weak as before, and between these last two realms until at last you could enter the glory of the Eternal Realm. In order to properly develop, a block of memory had to be given so that you would have the chance to learn from your mistakes and successes – and properly atone for your sins.
"Terrible mistakes and deeds, however, involve the agency and choices of others. Your father and brother both did despicable things in their ignorance of the Eternal Path, and were thus sent to Hell to suffer – and also to grow. You see, Hell is maintained by a powerful spirit based not in hate, but in love. Hell is eternal, but not forever; eternal refers only to the nature of the repentance brought about inside it, but once a soul has learned from their mistakes and properly atoned, they again enter the stream of existence, and they can reach their final destination, the Eternal Realm."
As those last words a myriad of shadows appeared all around God and Jonah in the rose-colored void, and Jonah gasped as he began to recognize them. So many people of his youth and memory – Commodores, Officers, friends and family, even Wesley, his friend who betrayed him so long ago, and the three Elders – now gathered around them, all of them dressed in glorious white garments like God's, but all with their heads hung low in penitence.
"Jonah, forgive us…" asked the female Elder, one of the three who tore Ashley and Mark away from him so long ago. "We acted foolishly and wrong."
"Please dear friend…" added Wesley, his face shadowed in regret for past actions. "While what you did was wrong, I should have acted differently. I should have stood by you and helped you back down from the path of darkness. Please, forgive me for what I've put you through."
"Wesley…" said Jonah softly, so softly that the name barely left his mouth in any audible manner before another voice entered the scene, coming from behind.
"You can stop fighting against God now, my boy."
The tears were already pouring out of Jonah's eyes before he could turn around to see his father Lars Valhalla standing proudly, his arm around the shoulder of Jonah's brother Nico, both nearly identical in appearance to Jonah though older and dressed in finer garments.
"D…Dad?" gasped Jonah, barely able to speak as he saw his father and brother alive, well, and – most importantly – not consigned in Hell.
"Lars and Nico both finished their sojourns and entered the Eternal Realm some time ago," observed God, though Jonah's teary-eyed, overjoyed attention remained upon his father and brother. "In fact, usually only the strongest of Holies who progress to become shinigami spend extended seasons within the middle realms."
"Why didn't you tell me…?" asked Jonah as he wept. "Why did you keep such a secret…?"
"Becoming a god requires taking difficult steps into the unknown," replied God, and as he spoke the people all around, including Lars and Nico, vanished just as they had come. "Long ago you asked what the purpose of existence was, Jonah. I remember it well; it was just before you decided to destroy me, and you were distraught over what you supposed was the unending loss of your father. Alas, I cannot divulge that to you, since that would be cheating; however, I can tell you what my purpose is."
"Your purpose?" asked Jonah, drying his eyes with his sleeves as he turned back towards God. Before him, God nodded with a smile, and drew another breath to speak.
"My work is to bring to pass the Eternal life of my children. In the Eternal Realm there are many degrees of happiness, and it is my purpose to bring each of my children to the degree of happiness they can endure. Not every soul can or will become a god, but the Eternal Realm is a place of eternal progression."
"I was such a fool…" said Jonah after hearing these words, placing his face into his hands in shame. "I was such a damn fool…"
"Now then, I think it is time for you to make the next step." Jonah lifted his eyes from his hands and saw God pull a large, ornate, and exceedingly beautiful crimson crystal heart from his cloaks, attached to a long, incredibly detailed silver chain of metal flower petal links. "This is about three hundred years overdue."
"I can't…" interjected Jonah suddenly, shying away from God and turning away so that his back faced his Father. "You can't do such a kind thing to someone as evil as me."
"I forgive you, my son, but you must forgive yourself as well," started God, followed with a heavy sigh. "I will tell you something, Jonah. Your sins against me are grave, and you did them with great knowledge. While technically you committed them in ignorance, you did them with correct knowledge of my definite existence. The punishment for this is similar to the fate of the First Sorrow…but someone has pleaded to me on your behalf. Naturally, I understand that you are not a Sorrow, and that when confronted with the darkness inside Alicia's own Sorrow you exercised your duty as a Holy of the Eternal Path. Regardless, someone asked for me to deliver you from your evil, and that is what I have done."
"Who is this person?" asked Jonah, turning a few degrees so that God could see the corner of his eyes. "Who would stand up for me like this, knowing how far I've fallen?"
"When the time is right," said God with a smile, then beckoning to Jonah with his free hand. "Now please, my son, take hold of my heart." Jonah hesitated for a moment, but in the end he swallowed his pride and walked up to his God. However, before he took hold of the crimson heart, a question came to his mind and lips.
"Father…" asked Jonah humbly. "Before when you saved me, your form was… different…"
"When a person with a zanpakuto reaches the Eternal Realm, their zanpakuto rejoins their master as one spirit," answered God happily without reservation. "You actually discovered this truth on your own, if you recall; you uncovered the secret when you trained Callous Depardieu to use his L'Union Angelique. Your theory was correct, Jonah – zanpakuto are merely a portion of our own spirits brought to life, and when we are strong enough the two parts are brought back together as one. So it is with my own zanpakuto, and he and I together are one being, just as your Mother is with her zanpakuto."
"Interesting…" muttered Jonah, smiling for the first time since before Alicia's transformation. "And my followers…will you forgive them too?"
"Your friends were faithful to you till the very end, Jonah," replied God, eliciting a sigh of relief and a tear of happiness from Jonah's eyes. "I promise that they will meet with you again, and your friendship will continue for eternity."
"Thank you…" said Jonah softly, bowing his head towards his God. He then placed his hands upon the crimson crystal heart, and took a deep breath.
"Jonah, your Mother and I love you more than you know," began God, his voice soothing and kind. "We want you to be happy, and we know that you will be happy in the end. But life is difficult, and life is trying; it has to be this way, though, for it is through our trials that we learn what joy truly is. Now, my son, I must inform you that justice must be served; in your life you will be sorely tested in a dangerous situation, and you must make the right decisions to grow."
"I understand," replied Jonah. "I will face my demons and defeat them, I promise… Father."
"Very good," said God with a smile. "Now then, breath deeply. Feel my love swelling through your soul, breaking the bonds that have barred your progression. You are Jonah Valhalla, my dear son, a giant among the spirits of my creation, and now you can start your way home."
Jonah's body began to radiate with energy and light as God spoke these words, an irreplaceable happiness and joy filling every facet of Jonah's entire soul. It was over; the long prison was over, and life was about to really begin. Along these lines his heart and mind mused as the light continued to fill his body – but it was then that he noticed that he and God were not alone. There was a woman standing next to God, blonde and beautiful, so familiar…
"I'll see you soon, Jonah," declared the woman. "Don't worry, I will wait for you; now go live your life, my love."
Jonah's eyes lit up as he recognized his wife from long ago, and with a smile he vanished, his spirit bursting into a million tiny specks of light that dispersed until, after several seconds, God and Ashley Valhalla were left alone in the rose-colored void.
"Father, will he be all right?" asked Ashley in her gentle alto voice. "He's so stubborn and proud, I worry…"
"He will have to grow like everyone else," answered God, turning his gaze upward. "But, his trials will be unlike any other. The inescapable tides of darkness are rising, and the lives of my children in all realms will be affected."
"What do you mean?" asked Ashley, a look of distress entering her lovely eyes. "I thought this was all over now…"
"Unfortunately not, my child," said God with a sigh. "This was fated; Alicia Anders became a Sorrow, and even now that demonic existence she bravely and successfully cast from her soul is plotting."
"Plotting what?" asked Ashley, her tone becoming increasingly intense and fearful. God then turned towards her, looking into her eyes with his own before speaking.
"It will seek to free him."
(break)
Nine months later…
TELEVISION PROGRAM IN PROGRESS…
FEMALE REPORTER: It's been nothing but smiles all around the world! Nine months after the strange fog covered the surface of the planet, children are once again being born!
REPORTER IN SOUTH KOREA: We've just received word that our world's ninth child has been born to a happy Korean family, a healthy, stubborn baby boy named Kyeongseok. The entire nation wept together in joy at this tremendous occasion, and officials are considering naming this day a national holiday in the young boy's honor!
FEMALE REPORTER: You heard it right here, ladies and gentlemen: nine, that's nine babies born in the last few days. All of the families became pregnant around the same time as the fog, and after considerable monitoring and protections during the terms, the fruits of our collected labor are being realized…wait, we've just received word that twins have been born in Romania! Do we have the feed?
(Technical fuzz, shuffling, redirecting of cameras and crews…)
FEMALE REPORTER: Okay, we have linked into the Romanian news service carrying the story, and we will have our translators ready to deliver the words of the parents!
(More technical fuzz, then a switch over to the Romanian channel, taking place in a hospital room…)
MALE TRANSLATOR FOR REPORTER: Again, we repeat: twin baby boys, paternal, born to the lucky family here in Bucharest! Twin baby boys, one with a handsome tuft of brown hair!
FEMALE TRANSLATOR FOR MOTHER: I can't begin to express my joy! (sobs) It is such a blessing to be part of history! I'm so happy my dream of having a family can be realized now! (sobs)
MALE TRANSLATOR FOR REPORTER: What are their names?
MALE TRANSLATOR FOR FATHER: The one with brown hair we decided to name Jonah. We feel like he will be a strong, good, and kind man, and we thought that the name Jonah fit that description perfectly.
MALE TRANSLATOR FOR REPORTER: Your other son has long blonde hair; that's a little odd for a baby, isn't it?
FEMALE TRANSLATOR FOR DOCTOR: It isn't seen like this too often, but maybe it means the little boy was touched by an angel? (laughter)
FEMALE TRANSLATOR FOR MOTHER: He is our little angel, just like his brother.
Our little Lucian.
Next: EPILOGUE – AISEKI'S JOURNAL